Message to the Japanese people affected by the Sendai Earthquake & Tsunami

by Yoko Ono, 11 March 2011

I feel numb now, as if I was there myself and hit with this disaster as you have been. Only just recently I visited Tokyo, and was delighted how beautiful, clean and quiet the city was! I didn’t expect a disaster like this to happen to the country I love so much.

One year, John, my husband, Sean and I, were in the hotel in Tokyo. It was in the morning, and the earthquake suddenly hit three of us. I imemdiately grabbed Sean, who was still a little boy then. I went into an open closet, holding Sean tightly, and sat in there, keep repeating “Namyohorengekyo”. After the earthquake subsided, John laughed and said he didn’t understand why I sat in an open closet. I explained to him that it was important to be protected by a structure. Well, at least, that was what I was told when I was a child. The earthquake John, Sean and I experienced was not at all like the one you just experienced. But still my body is now shaking tonight from the memory of it.

So I feel deeply for you for having experienced the earthquake that was the severest in the history of Japan. It must have been so, so horrible. I extend my sympathy and love to each one of you. I’m very sorry that you had to go through what you went through. My heart is with you all the way.

With love,
yoko

Yoko Ono Lennon
New York City
11 March 2011.

Donate to the
AMERICAN RED CROSS
‘Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami’ FundHERE.

Donate to the
SAVE THE CHILDREN
‘Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency’ FundHERE.

「IT’S TIME FOR ACTION（行動するとき）」です。まずは、人命の救出です。それは、国や自治体が中心になって全力でみんなで取り組まなければならないことです。そして次には、未来に向かって復興させることです。毎日少しずつ。復興させることに喜びを感じましょう。
ただ、復興させるだけでなく、今までただ、アイデアで、それを建設する場所がなかったのが、今できるようになったということがあるのです。新しい日本の国を作るのです！世界にもない新しい未来の国を建設するのです。
今までの日本は、封建時代の人口過剰の日本には適当な街々だったのです。今度は会社本位でなく、家族が一緒に楽しめるような、そして、高齢の人も健康で楽しめるようなヘルシーな国を建設することができるのです。だから、再建ではなく、新しい国の建設です。楽しみながら建設しましょう。

Thinking positively about the future

by Yoko Ono

1 Japan has just suffered its worst earthquake since the war! Do please send a message to all those it has affected! They would be so encouraged to hear from you!

I sent a message immediately. Here it is:

My dear people of Japan,

I feel numb now, as if I was there myself and hit with this disaster as you have been. Only just recently I visited Tokyo, and was delighted how beautiful, clean and quiet the city was! I didn’t expect a disaster like this to happen to the country I love so much.

One year, John, my husband, Sean and I, were in the hotel in Tokyo. It was in the morning, and the earthquake suddenly hit three of us. I imemdiately grabbed Sean, who was still a little boy then. I went into an open closet, holding Sean tightly, and sat in there, keep repeating “Namyohorengekyo”. After the earthquake subsided, John laughed and said he didn’t understand why I sat in an open closet. I explained to him that it was important to be protected by a structure. Well, at least, that was what I was told when I was a child. The earthquake John, Sean and I experienced was not at all like the one you just experienced. But still my body is now shaking tonight from the memory of it.

So I feel deeply for you for having experienced the earthquake that was the severest in the history of Japan. It must have been so, so horrible. I extend my sympathy and love to each one of you. I’m very sorry that you had to go through what you went through. My heart is with you all the way.

With love,
yoko

2 Yoko, Japan has just experienced what they say is the biggest earthquake in 1000 years. What can we do to help the victims of this disaster get back on their feet and return to their normal lives? There is a limit to the power of prayer. It is terribly sad. What on earth can we do?

It’s time for action. First of all, we have to save lives. The country and the government have to take the lead in encouraging everyone to get involved. The next thing we have to do is start rebuilding with the future in mind. Little by little, day by day. Let’s lift our spirits by thinking of the recovery. But it’s not just a question of returning things to where they were, we must realise that now is the time to create things which there was no space to do until now. We can build a new Japan! We can build a new country for the future that has not existed until now.

Up until now, Japan has been full of towns more suited to an overpopulated feudal era. We have the chance now to create a healthy country which allows families to enjoy themselves together and older people to live comfortably, rather than being based around corporate needs. So we’re not rebuilding, we are making a new country. Let’s build with that positive spirit.

3 How can we turn disaster into peace… How can we? It really worries me. What can we do?

This is a really important chance to overcome the hardships that follow a natural disaster. We can build a new country by getting thoughtful plans for towns and a country of the future drawn up quickly by forward-thinking scientists and architects. In each town we need to get plans made by local architects and scientists that are suited to for the environment of that town.

4 The press is saying that there’s a possibility the earthquake has caused a meltdown in the nuclear reactor at Fukushima. The people who built the reactor assured us that it would be OK even if an earthquake came, but now they are saying that the scale of this earthquake was unforeseeable. Do you agree that nuclear reactors are too dangerous for humans to be able to control?

For the sake of our future it’s important that those responsible for nuclear reactors have understood that these things can happen.

5 Even though a tsunami warning was given, it seems that those living close to the sea were used to hearing one and chose to clean up after the earthquake, so about half of them left it too late to escape. It makes you wonder about fate.

Well, this has given us all a lot to think about. Not very pleasant thoughts, of course. But lessons that had to be learnt, I’m afraid.

6 People from countries such as Korea and America took the lead in the international effort to help Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake. We’d like to express our thanks to these people, but how should we do it?

I think the thanks should be expressed when we have recovered, or completed our new building work.

7 Escaping from the earthquake yesterday, all I could think of was myself, and how to get away from it. I feel guilty because I wasn’t able to help my neighbours or even to grab my pet, who is part of the family. Are human beings really just selfish?

If you didn’t use all your efforts you wouldn’t have been able to escape. If you’d stopped to think of other people, you might not be here yourself. You don’t need to feel guilty about saving yourself. You’re an important member of the human race too.

8 March 10th marked the 66th anniversary of the firebombing of Tokyo. I think you were 12 years old at the time. Do you remember that day?

I believe I’d already been evacuated. Even so, American planes still came every day while I was in Tokyo, so I don’t remember which was the day of the firebombing. I could only see my own house and those around it, and didn’t know that all of Tokyo had been destroyed.

9 Do you think that more severe penalties would stop crime (particularly murder)? I am not against the death penalty.

If you execute someone, there is nothing you can do later if you find out they were innocent. It’s not so unusual for innocent people to have been executed in error. I oppose the death penalty.

10 How can we get rid of addiction and violence?

I think the only thing to do is to show to people who spend their lives in violence how wonderful it is to live in peace. You may not believe this, but violence is gradually disappearing from our streets. The only thing we are still unable to stop is the violence of war. The fact is that politicians are promoting violence on a far greater scale than criminal organisations.

Afterword:

“After Andy Warhol visited Japan he said ‘Japan is the country of the future. It’s amazing!”. At the time I thought to myself ‘Yes, but it has many old scars.’ I think this earthquake is our moment of destiny to create a country of the future. The time has come for us to work together to make Japan an even more wonderful country than it has been so far.”

The U.S. State Department is urging any U.S. citizens to contact friends and family as soon as possible. They can also e-mail the State Department at [email protected]. Those seeking information on security in or travel to Japan can call 1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444.

Save the Children is sending an emergency team to assist its staff in Japan.Donations to the group’s Children’s Emergency Fund will help preserve the welfare of young ones, who “are always the most vulnerable in a disaster,” Eiichi Sadamatsu in central Tokyo said in a statment.

Globalgiving.com, another aid organization that allows donors to select the causes they want to support – including climate change, economic development, human rights and natural disaster relief – has established a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. GlobalGiving will disburse funds to organizations providing aid and relief to victims.

“We are extremely concerned for the welfare of children and their families who have been affected by the disaster. We stand ready to meet the needs of children who are always the most vulnerable in a disaster.”

International Medical Corps is responding to the health needs of the disaster’s victims. Nancy Aossey, President & CEO, International Medical Corps said in a statement:

“We are putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities.”

To donate or learn about other ways you can contribute to its medical response, visit Internationalmedicalcorps.org. Also, text MED to 80888 from any mobile phone to give $10.

The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund was launched at GlobalGiving.org to garner funds that will be given to a variety of relief organizations helping victims of the earthquake. It has already raised over $100,000, particularly from concerned Twitter users around the world. The project page explains:

We are working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to provide support. Our partners on the ground are working hard to provide immediate relief.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare will soon be deploying a team to assess needs regarding animal rescue. Dick Green, the organization’s emergency relief manager for disasters, wrote on IFAW’s blog:

“As we saw most recently in Haiti, major disasters require long-term planning and a concerted effort between NGO and governmental ranks to ensure that the greatest number of animals and humans benefit from the intervention.”

World Vision has announced global mobilization in response to tsunami warnings. Geoff Shepherd, the organization’s humanitarian and emergency affairs director for the Asia-Pacific region, released a statement on World Vision’s website, saying:

“We’ve also alerted our Global Rapid Response Team and have put team members on standby for possible deployment to affected areas. This could be a very serious disaster in multiple countries and our staff are prepared to respond.”

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Dear Friends,
I was totally surprised how beautiful the INFINITE UNIVERSE AT DAWN book came out to be. It is more like a conceptual sculpture than a book. The artistic sensitivity and exactitude exercised to report the multi-dimensional history of my work is nothing but amazing. In fact I am speechless at this point!
Thank you, Genesis Publications.
love, .